Bad steering shaft???

[Tinman]

What are the signs of a bad steering shaft? I feel a small click or thump in the steering wheel when I'm at slow constant speed either driving or stopping. Seems to correspond to bumps in the road surface. Steering seems as tight as stock. No noise/sounds/bumps while steering. This is on the 06. The 01 is tight and solid with 160K and nothing but Lukes Links.

 

[AMink]

I have the same issue. One member suggested driving barefoot (on a lonely road!) and putting your foot on the shaft where it comes though the fire wall. You might be able to feel something there. I couldn't and still have the "click". It drives me nuts! I'm wondering if it is the shocks going south or something in the front drive shaft. It just feels like there is a tiny bit of play in something, somewhere.

 

[betterthanstock]

Jack up under axle near wheel, stick a pry bar or 2x4 under the tire and move up and down suddenly. Feel the ball joints (king pin) for vertical play. (you need 2 people for this)

You can also force the wheel side to side, to check steering shaft, link joints, and every thing else.

 

[firemansdiesel]

What are the signs of a bad steering shaft? I feel a small click or thump in the steering wheel when I'm at slow constant speed either driving or stopping. Seems to correspond to bumps in the road surface. Steering seems as tight as stock. No noise/sounds/bumps while steering. This is on the 06. The 01 is tight and solid with 160K and nothing but Lukes Links.

Same as mine when it started going bad. I also had a knocking feel in my brake pedal as well in the steering wheel at slower speeds. Especially coming to a stop. Borgeson makes a replacement for 2003 and up. Part #951, Geno's Garage or straight through Borgeson. Cheaper by $15 through Geno's.



I have one on a the way.

 

[Wayne M.]

This is SPOOKY!!! I was JUST going to make a post about this exact thing! It's been bugging me for a while and seems to be getting worse.

For me it's a slow speed, maybe 25 and going over light bumps or ripples. I feel it in the pedals and kinda in the wheel. When the truck is shut down, I move the wheel back and forth (freeplay) and it really can be heard. I went through the front end and there is no slop, just some bearing play in one hub that I've been monitoring since 15K.

I have 66K miles and do a lot of city driving. I am really considering the borgeson shaft. I put one in my '92 way back and it was a quality piece.

 

[miful]

i had the same thing going on in my 06 with 33000 miles and sent it to the dealer shop and they replaced the tie rods and dampner and seems fine now all i told them it had the death wobble and they replaced all under warranty. so if you are under 36000 miles then i would get it to the shop quickly

 

[AMink]

Of course, I'm at 38,000! Seems a steering shaft should last a little longer. #@$%!

 

[Wayne M.]

Never had death wobble- That was with the '92

 

[Tinman]

I'm at 39K so no warrenty, but wasn't there a recall type repair for the tie rods. Changed to the 1. 5" rods and different ball joints?



I was thinking Borgenson shaft but I read some bad stuff about them lately. I'm looking at Flaming River.

 

[Cummins Cowboy]

do a search on my posts, my steering shaft was f'd although if you look at the shaft off the truck you will swear there is nothing wrong with it

 

[Southbound]

Tinman-



I have on 06 with 60k and got the same symptoms. I checked the steering rods and ball-joints..... all ok so my guess is the steering shaft. This is my 3rd Dodge all of which had the same problem however this one has it the worst. I will probably pull the trigger on a new shaft for this one. Good luck!



My . 02



Southbound

 

[firemansdiesel]

I was thinking Borgenson shaft but I read some bad stuff about them lately. I'm looking at Flaming River.

What was the problems? I know a couple of years ago they had a fittment issue w/ the 3rd Gens, but corrected it. I talked to them (Borgeson) a month ago before I pulled the trigger last week for one.

 

[Tinman]

https://www.turbodieselregister.com...ons/74836-borgeson-just-lost-my-business.html



This is a good post as to the quality of Borgenson. Do a search and you'll find a lot of info. Some good for Borgenson, a lot bad. All good for F. R.

 

[firemansdiesel]

https://www.turbodieselregister.com...ons/74836-borgeson-just-lost-my-business.html



This is a good post as to the quality of Borgenson. Do a search and you'll find a lot of info. Some good for Borgenson, a lot bad. All good for F. R.

That post was five years ago w/ the last two posts more recent. And those two guys installed the shaft three years prior. Like I said, they made the improvements for fit for the 3rd Gens. The guy I talked to at Borgeson told me of the problems they had back then. I have not heard of any problems since they fixed it a couple years ago.

 

[Wayne M.]

I gotta say that steering shafts can be hard to check for looseness. Just today I was climbing a steep winding grade in 2nd, and I got the harshness in the gas pedal real good, then when I truned the wheel, it went away. Definetly one universal must be bad.



Regarding the possibility of quality issues with the borgeson piece, I would very much appreciate if someone like southbound who might get one now could report weather these problems still exist.

I doubt Geno's would put up with poor quality issues from a vendor.

 

[Southbound]

I will keep you guys posted on the install and quality of the product. Note: I will probably install the weekend following this one. The CEO of the family has instructed me that I will be attending a gymnastics meet for my 3yr old lil girl this weekend. Apparently my wife thinks my daughter is a good candidate for the Olympics in 20XX. LOL Just tryin to keep peace in the house. I am sure yall understand.



Southbound

 

[Tinman]

I would actually rather have a Borgeson. Easier to get (from Geno's) and a little cheaper. But it's gotta work and not take 2 days to install. I'll wait a bit and see if the later model shafts better.

 

[Geno's Garage]

I gotta say that steering shafts can be hard to check for looseness. Just today I was climbing a steep winding grade in 2nd, and I got the harshness in the gas pedal real good, then when I truned the wheel, it went away. Definetly one universal must be bad.



Regarding the possibility of quality issues with the borgeson piece, I would very much appreciate if someone like southbound who might get one now could report weather these problems still exist.

I doubt Geno's would put up with poor quality issues from a vendor.

We have been selling the Borgeson steering shafts for about a year, have sold over 100, and have not had a single problem, or return for warranty.



After reading the post about warranty claims being denied due to painting the shaft, we called our contact at Borgeson to get the real info. According to Borgeson, painting the shaft will not effect the Borgeson warranty, unless the shaft has been painted at the telescoping section, and the painting interferes with the operation of the steering shaft. Also, if someone buys a shaft, paints it, then realizes they bought the wrong shaft and wants to return it for the correct one, Borgeson will not honor an exchange.



There was an issue with model year application, previously, but that issue has been cleared up. All of the shafts we carry are correctly identified to fit the year(s) specified.



One of the guys here (Scott) has installed Borgeson shafts on two different trucks (both 1999 Dodge 2500 CTDs) and has nothing but good reviews.



Hope this helps.



~Andy

 

[Wayne M.]

Thanks for input, Andy. This makes me feel better about the ineviteble.



I had some extra time today, and the buzz was bothering me, so I went under the hood and under the dash. I found the actual joints to be tight, but everything else is real sloppy. The biggest offender is the isolator at the top of the shaft. There is a safety pin going through, and just a light effort on the wheel deflects the rubber to pin contact. Real junk!

 

[prmizeski]

Mine was the lower intermediate steering shaft at 28,048 miles covered under warranty. Now 10,000 miles later and out of warranty, same sitiuation, clunking coming up the the steering column and you swear can feel it in the brake pedal. Listed as Part # 1 55351456AF SHAFT-INTERMEDIATE on the repair order.